Brooke Shields' Book Review

Brooke Shields Book Review:

When I was going through my memoir reading binge, Brooke Shields; books were an amazing read.  The book, There was a Little Girl, is about Shields' troubled relationship with her mother. Down Came the Rain, is about Shields' postpartum depression. I recommend both books highly.

A remarkable journey

Brooke Shields has a very powerful message to share.  She doesn’t just give us the back-story about her fame; instead she gives us her total story in a very thoughtful and sensitive way.  The extraordinary thing about these books is that Shields totally opens up her life to be examined by the reader.  In doing this, she takes us on a remarkable journey of discovery.

 Not just another memoir

I was on a bit of a memoir binge having just finished reading Rob Lowe’s, Stories I only Tell My Friends ,and Melissa Gilbert's, Prairie Tale.  Both are excellent books.  I just figured that Shields books would be more of the same. 

The Difference

In their books, both Lowe and Gilbert examine the choices that they made in their lives.  They both do this in a very honest and tender way. Both Lowe and Gilbert expose both the good and bad life choices that they made.  The focus of both books was on the unusual and unique life they led, because they were pop icons.

Shields also discusses her life choices but she goes a step further and uses her literary "moment" to focus our attention on some very serious human conditions: alcoholism, co-dependency and postpartum depression.

An example to others

It took guts for Shields to write such honest books.  All she had to do was write a few stories, drop a few names, share a few pictures and her memoir would have sold like hot cakes, anyway.  But she's part of a new group of "memoirists" who are boldly stepping out and telling their stories, good and bad parts all inclusive.  I'm proud of this group.  Good for you, Brooke Shields, Rob Lowe, and, Melissa Gilbert for making your memoirs count!

Brooke Shields makes herself vulnerable and tells things in her story that most people would have kept private.  But in revealing her inner-most thoughts and intimate behaviors, we witness a beautiful love story between a mother and a daughter that just didn't know there was any other way to love.